SLUG
away & up Up
Ballooning is a pastime that’s inflating among the over-50s. Meet the late-life adventurers who are flying, crewing and even hand-building hot air balloons
Have you ever fantasised about escaping to the clouds, away from all the hustle and bustle of the world below? The owners of the around 1,500 hot air balloons registered in the UK get to do just that, revelling in the peacefulness of wafting through the sky. And 60% of those who hold a Balloon Pilot’s Licence are over the age of 50.
Britain’s first modern hot air balloon, the Bristol Belle, was created in 1967. Throughout the Seventies and Eighties, ballooning became a popular pastime, creating familiar polka dots in our skies. Now, the pilots who trained during this boom are late lifers. And those who grew up admiring them from the ground have time to get involved as they embrace, or approach, retirement.
‘We are definitely an older age group,’ admits Don Cameron, 84, a celebrated aeronaut who helped develop the Bristol Belle. He is director of Cameron Balloons, the world’s leading manufacturer, established in 1971. Around 60% of his direct sales are to pilots over 50. ‘There’s an indefinable magic to rising into the sky and defying gravity,’ says Don, who still flies today. ‘Curiously, you don’t feel high up – you feel that the world is small.’ Hot air balloons offer one of the safest forms of aviation, and balloonists prize the sweeping views, stillness, and sense of adventure. We speak to the enthusiasts who are riding high.
The pilot
Sue Kidd, 74, has been a balloon pilot for almost 25 years. Since qualifying at the age of 50, she has clocked up nearly 300 hours in a basket. ‘It’s exhilarating,’ she says. ‘It gives me an enormous amount of pleasure to introduce people to the wonderful world of hot air balloons.’
She booked her first ride in 1989, at the age of 40. ‘When I was younger, I would see a balloon in the air and think how fabulous it must be to be up there,’ says Sue. But as the flight took off, she suddenly remembered she wasn’t too fond of heights. Still, she built up the courage to look over the side and fell in love with gliding through the sky. She discovered there were balloon clubs all over the country, like the London Region Balloon Club, her local group. She joined in 1993. Today, the group has around 15 members and two thirds are over 50.
After five years spent helping existing pilots, occasionally wangling a flight, Sue decided to go for her pilot’s licence. This required at least 16 hours of flight instruction and written e
